The Cost of a Sacrifice
by AnimationGirl
Summary: "I can't watch my friend be killed." That is what Tigress said, but now Po finds himself thinking the same words as a soothsayer tells him that the Tiger Master will sacrifice her own life for him. While Tigress is taking the news pretty calmly as she does not believe it, Po is panicking. How can he save his friend, if he might be the reason to why she will die?
1. The Soothsayer

A/N: What?! AnimationGirl with a fanfic about Tigress and Po?! No way! But yes! Though, I do not see this story as romance; more like what you would do for friends. But you can see it in the way you like. The story will have about five chapters.

Hope you like it.

I do now own Kung Fu Panda.

**The Cost of a Sacrifice  
The Soothsayer **

Po could not help but exclaim happily as he defeated another enemy. The boar was thrown through the air, but stopped flying as it crashed into two other bandits; taking both of them down too.

"Did you see that?!" he yelled, impressed by his own skills.

"Po!" Tigress' warning snarl made him finch a little but he knew that she was right. "Concentrate!"

"Right," he quickly murmured. He then turned towards the crocodile that was running towards him. Blocking the incoming attack, Po took his fighting stance. He then forced the knife out of the bandit's hand, and kicked him in the stomach.

The rest of the fight went rather easily; even though the bandits were many they were not very skilled. As he looked around, Po saw his friends fighting; clearly as busy as he too was.

But suddenly things seemed to go the wrong way.

"Tigress!"

Po turned around even though it was not his name that had been called out. It was Viper who had yelled as she had seen something the striped feline had not noticed.

Yet.

Tigress was busy fighting three opponents on one time, and did not see the archer that was taking aim on her. But Viper saw it, and now Po did it too. Unfortunately the striped feline was too far away. She could neither hear their alarming yells nor see the arrow that soon would reach her.

Po stared at his friend with widened eyes. Seeing how Viper tried to get to the tiger, he did the same. But he realized it already now; none of them would be fast enough.

Breath stuck in his throat Po could only watched…

As Tigress flipped over the wolf she was fighting, the arrow hit.

But it did not touch either the tiger or the wolf.

Instead it hit the wolf's shiny armor and was reflected; it changed direction and got stuck into the ground. Tigress continued fighting; not even knowing that she had nearly been killed.

Po and Viper both let out a sigh of relief. Then the snake continued her way and quickly took out the archer that had been hiding in some bushes. Tigress took out the last bandits and then the battle was over with the warriors of the Jade Palace as the winners.

"Woohoo!" the panda cheered as the group gathered together. "We totally won! Again!"

"They sure won't be a problem to the village anymore," Crane said.

"Let's bring them to the jail and finish this mission," Tigress said, as she wanted to get back to the Jade Palace as quick as possible.

They quickly tied the bandits up, and brought them to the nearby jail. They had been stealing from the villagers in a long time before the Jade Palace got the news about it, and they had not hesitated with attacking when they saw the warriors.

On their way back to the Valley of Peace, Po started talking about the fight again. "I mean, they never even had a chance!"

"Po…" Monkey said warningly; they were all pretty tired of hearing the panda talking like that. It had been a long day, and now they just wanted some rest.

"Did you even see the dude who tried to shoot Tigress?"

"What?" the tiger asked, not knowing what he was talking about.

That only made Po exclaim, "See?! She blocked it without even knowing it! That is just crazy Kung Fu-ish!"

"It is actually pretty serious, Po," Viper said and then turned toward Tigress, "You were really lucky."

"She was not lucky," Monkey suddenly said. "She was just being Tigress!"

The tiger then seemed to feel rather uncomfortable, and looked away from her friends. Po did not notice it though, and continued his praise, "That's right! Because Tigress can-"

"Enough, Po," Tigress said softly.

"But-"

"Have you ever heard of the word 'exaggerating'?" she asked him sarcastically.

He shook his head. "Nope. Not really."

Tigress sighed while the others grinned softly. But Po changed subject and started talking about what they should have for dinner tonight. It was first when they finally were home again that he stopped the food talk.

"I think I should go and check up on Dad," Po said as they came near the Noodle Shop. "So he knows that we're all alright."

"Sure. We'll just tell Master Shifu that the mission is over," Crane said and the rest of the Furious Five followed him as they all walked towards the stairs.

"See you later, guys!" the panda exclaimed and grinned happily as he entered his dad's shop.

The goose saw him in a matter of seconds. "Po!" he exclaimed happily. "You are back!"

"Uhm, yeah. Great to see you too."

"How did it?" Mr. Ping asked, letting Po go after having attacked him with a hug.

"The usual, you know. Bad guys go to prison, we others win because we are awesome," Po explained while following his dad into the house. "No more problems with them."

"That's great, my boy," the goose said while he started to make portions of noodles ready again. Po started to help him by cutting vegetables. "So no injuries?" the father suddenly asked.

Po stared at him, obviously surprised. "What? No!"

"No broken bones?"

"Nope."

"No wounds or scratches?"

"Not a thing."

"No splinters or-?"

"Dad, would you stop that?" Po suddenly said, pulling himself away from the table. "Look; I am fine!" He patted his own stomach. "Completely just fine. No need to worry or anything."

Sighing, Mr. Ping walked towards him. "I know, Po. I am just… Worried."

Po stared at his father with a soft glance. Even though he did understand what his father was he just… did not understand.

"Come on, Dad! I mean we all came back fine. We always do that. Just look at the Five; they have been doing this in like forever and they still have all their limbs!"

Mr. Ping looked at the ground. "I know, Po. I am just worried."

"You shouldn't be!" the panda exclaimed. "We are the good guys! And the good guys always win!"

"But I can't protect you anymore!" the goose complained.

"You don't have to, Dad! I am the Dragon Warrior now!"

"Excuse me?" an old, raspy voice asked them, causing both the parent and the son to be quiet. "Could I get the 'Blank Page Soup?"

As they both stared at the customer, surprised over the fact that there still were other people than themselves, Po said, "Wait? What?"

"The Blank Page Soup," the person repeated patiently.

It was Mr. Ping who realized it first. "My Secret Ingredient Soup?"

The customer nodded, even though it was hard to see because of a cloak. "That one."

"You see, Po? I understand my customers," the goose said happily as he quickly made a bowl of the popular soup. He handed it to the customer, and as they were alone again, he opened his beak to start the discussion with Po again. "But-"

"Dad," the panda cut him off, staring at the mysterious customer who was sitting on one of the tables.

"Po."

"No, I mean; Dad, who is that?"

Now the old goose was just very confused. "Who is who?"

"That creepy customer," the panda exclaimed, and Mr. Ping followed his glance to look at the old person who was sitting all alone.

"I don't know," Mr. Ping then said.

"Well, I have to find out," Po explained and was about to go outside when his father stopped him.

"Why?" Mr. Ping asked, not understanding what his son meant.

Po shrugged as he was having a hard time with finding the right words. "He's just so mysterious…"

"I am pretty sure it's lady, Po."

"That's what I mean! Then who is she and what is she doing here? Does anybody know her?"

Mr. Ping shook his head. "I don't."

"Maybe she is up to something," Po said slowly, still glaring at the customer that was eating her food.

"Do you think…" the goose started to say, but then trailed off as if he could not believe it.

But his son heard it. "What, Dad?"

"Do you think she is trying to figure out the secret ingredient in my Secret Ingredient Soup?" Mr. Ping then said, the horror just beneath his voice.

Po stared at him, mouth agape in realization, but then; "No, Dad. I don't think she is trying to do that."

The goose looked obviously offended. "Then don't stare at her; you might scare her away! A customer is a customer." He then turned around to go back to the kitchen again.

Po was torn. Should he tell the others about this? Or would they just think that he was crazy? Maybe he should just try and do this by himself…

"Do you want a prophecy?"

"Wha?" Po suddenly realized that he had walked outside, and that the mysterious customer was talking to him. "Me?" he asked, but as he looked around he realized that he was the only one she could have meant. Well, unless she was talking with herself.

"You," she said again, and he came slowly closer. "You look like you might want to know your future."

"You're a soothsayer?" he asked, remembering the old goat that had helped him with finding Inner Peace.

But then the customer took down her hood, and Po realized that he had never seen her before. Because she was a fox; her fur was gray because of age, she was missing some teeth and her left eye was completely white.

"Whoah," he said as he had not expected such a sight. "I think you have something stuck in your eye…"

"It's blind."

"Oh…"

"And yet I see more than normal people," the fox said. "So do you want to hear your future?"

"How do I know that you are not just making it up?" Po asked her suspiciously.

The fox took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I see… A flying rabbit that will lead you towards the way of advice."

Po stared at her in some seconds before saying, "Okay… Since when can rabbits fly?"

Just as he finished that sentence, a yell could be heard, and suddenly a person came nearly flying into the shop. He landed just in front of Po.

It was a little rabbit boy, one of the villagers.

Po quickly helped him up. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I am fine, Po," the rabbit told him. "We just tried out the hammock. Like you did!"

"Oh yeah…" the panda said as he remembered the stunt he had once made with that kind of furniture. It surely could make you fly…

"You just have to pull it so backwards that it almost breaks; then you really fly!" the boy exclaimed happily. "I have to go back!" he then said and rushed out of the shop.

"Just be careful with all that… flying…" Po turned towards the fox. "How did you know that?! And he gave me an advice…" In a flash he had taken a seat in front of the soothsayer. "Tell me everything!"

She chuckled slightly. "So you do want the knowledge of your future?"

"Only if it extremely awesome! But yes; I want," Po told her. "So how much does it cost?"

"For you, Dragon Warrior, I will do it for free."

"Wow! Thanks! So what do you need? A piece of fur or- Whoah!" he said in shock as she suddenly grabbed his paw and pulled him forward, towards herself. "Okay; if you needed a hand you could just say so…"

"Quiet," she hissed. "I need to concentrate."

And so Po closed his mouth, hoping for the best. But what if his future was going to be bad? What if, just like his dad had talked about, he got hurt and a battle and did not make it. Warriors were not made of steel; they could get hurt too.

He just never imagined it as the thought scared him.

"I see you as a great and powerful warrior," the fox told him.

The panda dropped his jaw. "Really?" he asked her breathlessly. Now he had just prepared himself for the worst…

She nodded. "Whole China admires you and you have saved many, many lives."

"That's so awesome!" Po exclaimed. "What more?!"

"I see you at the Jade Palace many years from now…"

"I live long?"

"Yes. And you are surrounded by friends," she then told him.

Po's smile became even bigger.

"A red panda…"

"Shifu?! Man, he is going to get old-_er…_" he said, as he thought about what he was saying.

The fox ignored him and continued, "A monkey, a snake-"

"You mean the Furious Five?" Po asked her, and pointed on a poster that was hanging on the wall behind them. It was showing the Furious Five in their fighting stances.

But the fox shook her head. "I only see four."

Po did not understand. "But there are five! The name is kinda hinting it, you know. And we can count-"

"There are only four," the fox said again, more sternly this time.

"Then…. Who is missing?" Po asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

The fox pointed towards the poster. "The tiger," she said.

"Tigress?! But where is she?"

"Dead," the fox answered simply, and took another drink of her soup.

Po just stared into nothing. Tigress?! Dead?! But how and why? Well, she was in a lot of battles… And she was always in the fighting hall… And today she had been very lucky…. But dead?!

"But… How?" he whimpered.

The fox looked up from her bowl. "She gave her life for you, of course."

"What?!"

"You did not notice the attack, and she saved your life; on the cost of her own."

Could it really be true? Was he going to lose his friend because he was not fast enough? Or smart enough? Or strong enough?

"But I thought my future would be great," he exclaimed, suddenly feeling sick. Tigress? No! She was Tigress! She could not die…

Right?

"Yours is," the fox said. "Hers isn't."

"But…" He did not know what to say.

"I guess this is one of the reasons why not all people want to hear my foretelling," the fox told him calmly. "Not all are prepared for bad news."

"But you can change it, right?" Po asked her, but she only glared at him sadly.

One thing was sure; Po would not let his friend die. "I have to warn Tigress!" he exclaimed. He then left the fox at the shop and ran the whole way back to the palace.

* * *

A/N: So yeah… This is actually a friendship story, but if you want to see it as romance, then it's your choice. I don't know; this was just a random idea that came to me yesterday (one day to write this; I am awesome). Hope you like it.

So please give it a warm welcome; I don't know what you think of me writing about Po and Tigress (I'll never leave Tigress completely). So please tell me your thoughts!


	2. The Time Limit

A/N: Thank you so much for the welcome! All the reviews and favorites and so on… Thank you!

But, guys! Guys! When I said that it would be your own choice, I did not mean that I will make it either friendship or romantic. I'll write it the way I am doing (friendship), but if you want it as romance you can probably see some hint of if you try (which I'll just see as friendship).

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**The Cost of a Sacrifice  
The Time Limit **

Viper let out a sigh as she sat down beside the meditating tiger. "Are you as tired as I am?" she asked her friend while enjoying some sunshine. This was the perfect place to relax…

"I am fine," Tigress answered shortly, still keeping her eyes closed. She took in a deep breath, shoulders falling down. "Has Po returned yet?"

Viper shook her head even though her friend could not see it. "Not yet."

Tigress huffed. "I guess we'll have dinner later then."

Viper slowly moved closer to the tiger, who opened her eyes as she felt movement. "That episode with the arrow Po talked about…" the snake began.

"What about it?"

"I was there too, and I saw it." Viper sighed before continuing. "You were very lucky, Tigress."

"And what will you do about that?" Tigress said, turning towards her friend. "If I was lucky, then maybe you should be happy about it."

"I am just worried."

"Why?" Tigress asked her. "Nothing happened."

Viper sighed again. "I guess you are right."

A sly smile came to Tigress' lips. "How was it that I deflected the arrow again?"

The snake raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What?" Tigress exclaimed. "I am just going through the battle to see our lacks."

"Sure. And not because you, like Po, find that fighting 'crazy Kung Fu-ish?"

Tigress glared at her, a little smile hidden in her eyes. "What do you think of me, sister? Of course I am only studying our strategy."

"And if you are doing that, then I am leaving," Viper said and started slithering away from the sitting tiger.

"It's not like it's that boring!" Tigress called after her, but the snake disappeared away with a smile on her face. Tigress remained where she was, but crossed her arms while wearing an offended expression. "_I _am not that boring," she told herself sternly.

She tried imagining the battle exactly like it had happened. She had gone through this before, though, with a lot of other fights. There were always things they could improve and mistakes they had made.

They could always get better.

She wanted perfection. Even though she knew she would never fully reach it, that was her goal.

Now mistakes. No flaws.

Beside; mistakes could be fatal. Tigress remembered a lot of wounds she had gotten throughout her life; all injuries that could have been avoided.

You learned of your mistakes.

And that was why Tigress remained on the ground, eyes closed in concentration.

* * *

"Guys!" Po yelled as he fought his way towards the palace with the stairs as his opponent. "Guys!"

"Po?" Monkey asked as he was on his way to the kitchen. "What's happening?"

The panda grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted him up into the air. "Tigress is going to die!" he exclaimed, shaking his friend madly.

"What?!" Monkey said, struggling to get away from the panda. "Po! Put me down! You are making me sick!"

Po, afraid of what would happen if he shook Monkey more, did was he was told.

The monkey brushed some dust of himself before looking up at Po. "What is the problem?"

"Tigress will die!" Po yelled once again.

"So?"

"'So'? Don't you care about her?! To her funeral I truly hope you have some better words-"

"Po, I'll die too," Monkey told his friend.

The panda widened his eyes even more. "You too?! Why won't this just stop?!"

"And you too, Po."

"The tragedies just keep on coming…! Wait; say that again," Po said, pulling herself together.

Monkey shrugged. "We are all going to die. In the end, you know?"

"Who's gonna die?" a voice yelled, and suddenly Mantis was standing in front of them, a worried expression on his face. "It's not me, is it?"

"Po believes Tigress is going to die," Monkey muttered, "At least, that is what he says."

"Hey, I am not the person who said that she will do that," Po exclaimed, trying to explain.

"Then who did?"

"The soothsayer?"

"The goat?" Monkey asked with a confused voice.

Po shook his head. "No, another one. A half blind fox!"

"How many soothsayers do you know?!" Mantis exclaimed. "Did they really need that many to pull you out of the river when Shen tried to kill you?!"

"This is a new one!" Po tried again.

"New one? Who hired her?"

"No one! I just met her-"

"She's homeless?!"

"Wait-"

"And what does she has against Tigress?" Mantis asked, utterly confused.

Po did a face-palm and sighed. This was harder to explain than he thought. "She was sitting in shop and she asked me if I wanted to know my future, and I said yes, and she said that we would all have a great and long life, except for Tigress who would sacrifice herself for me!"

Mantis and Monkey was quiet for a moment, but then… "A great life, you say?"

"Come on, guys! This is important! If Tigress dies-"

"Tigress won't die, Po," Monkey told him.

Mantis jumped onto the panda's shoulder. "You got tricked, buddy. There are a lot of false soothsayers out there." Then he jumped down to follow Monkey who was leaving the scene.

"But she is real!" Po ran after them as they started walking away. "She proved it! She sad a flying rabbit would come and give me an advice, AND IT DID!"

"A flying rabbit?"

"Don't ask."

They started walking away from him again, and Po went into panic. "Come on, guys! Aren't you just the slightest worried about Tigress?!"

Mantis and Monkey stopped walking, glancing at each other to find out what each other what thinking. Finally, they turned towards Po.

"Fine," Mantis sighed. "Then what did the 'soothsayer' exactly say? Except us other having great lives…"

Po took in a deep breath before saying, "She said that Tigress was going to die by saving me."

Monkey raised an eyebrow. "And did she say when?"

The panda shook his head while biting his lip.

Mantis jumped forward. "Po, you do realize that the fox could be lying?"

"And if she isn't?" Po said with crossed arms.

"Then, if that will happen to Tigress, then it could happen many years from now. Like many, many years! When we are like eighty-"

"I get it!" Po exclaimed. "But what if it is soon?" he whimpered.

"Po…"

"If Tigress dies then it will be my fault! My fault!"

"Po, you won't stop talking about this until you have calmed down, isn't that right?" Mantis asked him and the panda nodded. The bug sighed, but then said, "Then let's talks with that soothsayer."

Po was satisfied with that; now his friends could help him with his problem. Because it could be fixed, right?

* * *

Monkey and Mantis stared at the calm fox with widened eyes. "Wow…"

"How did you do that?!" the bug exclaimed, jumping up and down on the table. They had just watched another prophecy go true; this one involving a dancing pig with a burning mustache.

The fox smiled. "That's my secret."

"So do you believe her now?" Po asked, and his friends nodded.

"But then… Tigress?"

The fox nodded slightly. "I see you have told them about the tiger's death."

It was like the three warriors froze at the sound of that.

Finally, Monkey spoke, "Do you know when it will happen?"

The fox hesitated for a moment. "I can't say exactly when."

The boys all took in a deep breath.

"But it will happen within three days."

And then worry came straight back.

"What?!" the all exclaimed.

But the fox was quiet; she had told them what she knew.

"Can't we stop it from happening?" Mantis asked her.

"It's the future. You can't change it. It's what will happen."

"But…"

They all became quiet. Was their friend really going to die? With no way of stopping it? This was like the worst news ever!

"But excuse me; I have to go," the fox told them and stood up. She had remained in the Noodle Shop ever since Po had left her, but now she had finally finished eating her soup.

The stunned boys remained by the table; not knowing of what to do.

Now Po had finally convinced them but what helped that? "Three days," he muttered. That was not a long time…

"Maybe she is wrong," Mantis then said. "I mean, what could happen? It's not like we are going through numerous life-threatening situations each day…" He gulped as he realized that that was exactly what they did. "She's so dead."

"Then we have to protect her," Po declared.

"Protect her? How?" Monkey asked.

The panda shrugged. "I don't know! Maybe we should just tell Shifu."

"Then you are the one who is dead," Mantis snickered.

"Why?"

"Because Master Shifu has forbidden us to talk with soothsayers."

* * *

"You talked with a soothsayer?!" Viper yelled at him. "And she told you that?"

"Uhm…" The boys suddenly looked nervous. They had tried to find Shifu, but instead they had met Viper and Crane who had asked them what was wrong. Apparently, their expressions had revealed everything…

Viper sighed loudly; taking their silent answer as a 'yes'. "There is a reason why Master Shifu wants us to ignore them," she told them.

"Because they give you bad news?"

"Because they might want you to change your future, and then you nearly go crazy." She sighed again and placed the tip of her tail on the panda's arm. "Po, remember what the Soothsayer told Shen and what he did as a response to it."

Po's expression seemed to crumble for some seconds as he remembered the murder of the pandas. Why had he been so stupid?

Tigress' death would be easier without the knowledge about it.

Or maybe not… Maybe this was the chance to stop it from happening! But how?

The future was set; he could not change it.

And that made him go into panic.

"I didn't think like that," he revealed.

"You didn't _think," _Mantis snickered.

"Just so you know; Master Shifu left while you were in the village," Crane told them. "Apparently, some of the bandits have said something about a bigger plot, and Master is down there to investigate since we are all tired from the journey."

Why did the problems keep coming? "Then what about Tigress?" Po asked them.

Viper thought about. She did not like the news they had told her, but she was torn. There were many options of what to do, but none of them seemed to be able to help them.

"If what she is saying is true," the snake began, "then what can we do about it? It's not like I don't want to help Tigress, but if you fully believe that it will happen, then I guess there is nothing to do."

"We can't just let Tigress die!" Po exclaimed. "That is not right!"

"Then what should we do?" Monkey asked.

Viper took in a deep breath while thinking. "Let's take it all as a warning. We just have to be careful; maybe it is not completely decided yet."

"Where is Tigress?" Mantis suddenly asked, thinking it was weird that no one else had asked about that yet.

"In the training hall," Viper answered flatly.

"Uhm…" Po bit his lip. "Maybe that isn't a good idea."

Monkey raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"You know, the training hall is a hall filled with swords and spikes and massive clubs and flames!" the panda then finally exclaimed.

"Well, I am not kicking Tigress out of the training hall," Mantis said. "That is like suicide."

"Maybe we should do that," Viper said quietly. "If we want her to take it easy…"

"Too bad we are Kung Fu Warriors then," Monkey muttered.

Po looked around. He might be the reason why his friend would die! That was like the worst thing ever! Why did he deserve an awesome life if his friend died because of him?!

"Guys, do you really think that Tigress would do such a thing?" he asked them. "You know; sacrificing herself?"

"Well, she did run ahead to face Tai Lung," Crane said as he remembered.

Monkey nodded. "And she pushed you away when you faced Shen's weapon the second time."

"Not to mention all the other time she has fought for others' safety," Viper then said.

Okay, things were not looking great.

"But would Tigress really…? For me?!" Po asked again, still trying to figure out whether it was going to happen or not.

"You are her friend, Po," Mantis told him.

"And she did also tell you that she can't watch her friend die," Viper finished softly.

"But we are all friends!" Po exclaimed, holding out his arms. "We would do the same for her-"

"And she would do the same for all of us; no offence, Po," Mantis told them.

Viper nodded. "That is what friends do!"

"And so we have to save Tigress from saving me who is now saving her!" Po said. "And we can start doing that by keeping Tigress away from danger."

"So no training hall?" Mantis asked. "Just great! Now one of us has to be her training dummy!"

"No bandits, no missions," Po said, holding up his fingers as he counted.

"No talking with strangers," Viper added.

"And no chatting with assassins," Monkey said. "And that should be all."

"So…" Po said, clasping his hands together. "Who wants to tell Tigress that there is no more training for her the next three days?"

"Not me!"

"Nope."

"Definitely not me!"

"I am not gonna tell her!"

"Tell me what?"

They all turned around to see her certain tiger standing in the doorway, looking at them with a raised eyebrow.

"Uhm, hey, Tigress," Po said nervously. "So we were just talking…"

Tigress took a step closer. "About what?"

"Uhm…"

"Po thinks you are going to die!" Mantis suddenly exclaimed.

Tigress glared at Po with an unreadable expression. "You what?"

* * *

A/N: And I'll end it here. I am sorry if I won't update as often the next weeks; I am very busy with school and my theater play has premiere next Monday.

Please, continue telling me your thoughts! It means so much to me! Please, it will make me so happy!

'Till next time!


	3. The Promise

A/N: And sorry, guys, for the wait. But I have been VERY busy. But I have returned! Missed me?!

Thank you for the support! It means so much!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**The Cost of a Sacrifice  
The Promise **

Po nervously rubbed his neck. "I… Uhm… Eh…"

Sighing, Viper decided to reveal it all. "Po talked with a soothsayer," she explained.

Tigress crossed her arms, not removing her eyes from Po. "I see," she said slowly. "And let me guess; I am going to suffer a horrible death."

"Well, she did not exactly say 'horrible'…" Po began, but when he caught Tigress' glance she understood that she was making fun of it.

"You have to be stupid if you believe such kind of things," Tigress told him sternly.

"But with Shen…"

"I mean, you should not believe false soothsayers," the tiger corrected herself. "It is kind of a part of the word' false'."

"But she is not false!"

Tigress opened her mouth to protest, but Monkey cut her off.

"He's right, Tigress," he said while staring at the ground. Mantis nodded quietly from the top of her friend's head.

The tiger then glanced at Viper, who shrugged. "They asked for some stupid prophecies that turned out to be true."

Tigress then set her eyes on Po, still not looking amused. "Then how is it that I should die?" she asked in a tone that told that she did not believe.

"You… You would sacrifice yourself for me," he muttered quietly.

"And it would happen within three days," Mantis added, and they all looked at the tiger to see her reaction.

Her eyes hardened as she said, "And you believe all of this?"

Wordlessly, the boys nodded. Viper looked unsure, not knowing what to answer.

Tigress snorted. "And what exactly do you think will happen? Some random bandit comes and kills me? Do I really have to remind you of that I have been training at the Jade Palace in over twenty years? I am still alive."

Mantis started coughing, as if he was trying to hide his own word. "Shen's *cough* weapon *cough*."

The fire in the tiger's eyes faded a bit. "That… That was something different," she hissed, not liking to be brought back to that day.

"Sure," Monkey said sarcastically. "Because you wouldn't do that again…"

"The weapon is destroyed and Shen is gone. End of story." Tigress turned around to leave. She did not like talking about that crazy peacock and now her mood totally destroyed.

Viper did not hesitate with following her. "Tigress, we just want to protect you!"

"From what?" Tigress asked and received no answer. "If Master Shifu knew about this-"

"He would be worried too," Viper said, causing the tiger to freeze.

Why did this conversation have to come now? Tigress bit her lip, holding in a groan as this caused her a headache. "Master Shifu would know that you can't trust false soothsayers. And so should you."

"You could try and talk with her…" Mantis began slowly.

"The soothsayer?" Tigress snorted. "Please; I have better things to do than listen to lies."

"Tigress-"

"What, Po?" she almost snarled, one sentence from losing her temper completely.

Po started speaking, without even thinking about what he was saying. "Three days," he started. "You give us three days where we prote… uhm… make sure you don't get hurt and then it is over."

Tigress glared at him. "And if I won't give you these three days?"

"We'll just have to follow you around everywhere," Monkey grinned. "And you know how annoying Mantis can be…"

"Hey!" the bug yelled angrily. "That's actually kind of true..."

They all stared at the feline who groaned in desperation. "You do realize that she has washed your minds, right?" she asked them and they all nodded. She then sighed. "Then what will happen in these three days?"

"Uhm…" Po said nervously, knowing he had to be the one to tell her. "You have to stay away from all dangers which mean bandits, missions… training…"

Tigress set her jaw. "Master Shifu will not be happy if we don't train."

"Master Shifu won't be happy if you die," Crane told her.

Tigress glared at him, causing him to be silent again. She then set her eyes on all of them. "I know you are trying to protect me," she sighed. "But I don't need to be protected. And I will not let my fate be decided by some crazy woman."

"But-"

"I'll go to bed," Tigress declared. "And you should too." With that she turned around to walk towards her room.

The boys glanced at Viper who then said, "I'll keep an eye on her. Goodnight."

Then she left too.

"Well, it could have been worse," Crane then said. "She could have punched us."

"Maybe she is right," Monkey muttered. "Maybe we are just overreacting."

But Po shook his head. "Three days. We can do that. Come on, Shifu would want us to look after her."

"Fine," Monkey then muttered and the others nodded. "But if she suddenly wants to claw someone, you will be the one to step forward."

Po gulped.

"Goodnight, Po," Mantis said as they all disappeared.

The panda remained where he was, scratching his neck as he thought about what to do. Maybe Tigress actually was right. And it was not like a new threat was coming towards them. Shen was no more; the same with Tai Lung.

Maybe the next three days would just be calm.

Shifu would soon be back, and he would make sure that nothing would happen to Tigress. And until then, he and the others would take care of the tiger. Even though she would not let them do it, they could just watch her from a distance.

Tigress was just being stubborn. Even the great Master Tigress had to need help some time.

Even if she did not ask for it.

* * *

Shifu had not returned home the next morning. Instead the students could sleep longer than they normally did. Well, except one.

Tigress, who had been in the palace in over twenty years, woke up as if the gong had sounded. Stretching out her body, she slowly opened the door. Taking in a deep breath, she sneaked out of the barracks. It would be lovely with some training alone.

But when she opened the doors to the training hall, she became shocked.

"Good morning, Ti-"

She slammed the door closed just in front of Po's face before he could finish his sentence. Rubbing her face with her paw, Tigress tried to understand what happened. There goes the time alone.

Opening the door again, Po remained where he was. Tigress tried to go around him, but he kept moving so he was in her way.

Growling, she asked, "What are you doing, Po?!"

"The training hall is closed, you know…"

The tiger's eye twitched. "Move, Po." She tried to push him away, but he grabbed her paw.

Gulping as he knew how angry she was going to be, Po quickly said, "As we said last night-"

"No more training for you," Viper finished from behind them both.

Tigress turned around to glare at her. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

Po opened his mouth, but Viper cut him off, "Meditate, of course."

Knowing that her friends would be after her if she tried anything, Tigress gave up. "Fine."

Po sent Viper a smile as she and Tigress walked away. He tried to give Tigress one too, but she glared at him in such a way that he wanted to shrink down to the ground. She was mad. Really, really mad.

But then she turned her head away, and disappeared along with Viper.

Sighing, the panda sat down in front of the doors. He could just as well stay here in case Tigress tried to train again. Which she probably would.

He kind of hoped that Shifu would believe him. If someone could protect Tigress then it was him.

"Hey, Po," Monkey greeted him as the last of the Furious Five came by. "What are you doing?"

"Standing guard."

"Tigress?" Crane asked and he nodded.

"Well, you are doing great," Mantis praised him. "Now we just have to keep doing that… Where is she now?"

Po shrugged. "With Viper. Meditating. That can't be dangerous, right?"

"I suppose not," Monkey answered. "But who knows?"

Mantis jumped to the ground. "Am I the only one who is kinda scared of this?!"

"Nobody wants Tigress to die," Crane spoke for them all. "It just surprises me that she refuse to believe it. Or just kind of react to it."

"Maybe she just won't," Monkey said quietly. "I mean, if I was told I was going to die, then I am sure I would hope that it was just lies."

"I think it is lies!" Mantis exclaimed. "Believing it is true is just like giving up!"

"Would she really do it?" Po then suddenly asked. "You know, for me?"

"Yes. Evidence one; she has already done it."

"But she survived," Monkey said, cutting off Mantis.

"She pushed him away, that's the point."

"I'll take that as a yes," Po muttered. He then sighed loudly. "It's like a nightmare!"

Mantis glared at him. "Well, it is your fault! You spoke with the soothsayer!"

"Hey! You did that too!"

"So? I am not the reason why she is going to die!"

"Uhm… Guys," Crane began. "I don't think that fighting right now will help." He paused as the others glanced at him. "Look-"

Monkey held up a hand. "We get it, Crane. No reason to go into details."

"No; look-"

"Monkey's right, Crane," Po told his friend. "We made the plan yesterday, you know. Viper is with Tigress now and we just need to look out for possible dangers."

"Just look up!" the bird finally exclaimed, losing his patience. The other's followed his glance and saw two eagles staring down at them.

Mantis glared back. "Who are they?"

"Hey!" Po shouted. "Hallo?"

But the birds just ignored him and started flying away from them.

"They don't seem friendly," Mantis huffed. "What are they doing here?"

"Guys, I think they are flying in the direction Viper and Tigress went," Po said as he realized it. The boys shared a worried glance, before hurrying after the two strange birds.

Crane flew after them, having a better chance to follow them than the others. There. In front of him in the distance, he could see the two eagles. Getting a better look on them, he realized their bodies were covered in armor. They were warriors?

Not good, if what had been said about Tigress was true.

But suddenly the eagles flew through a cloud, and when Crane's vision cleared, they were gone. "Huh?"

He searched for them, but found nothing. But then he spotted Tigress and Viper at the peach tree, meditating.

"Tigress. Viper," he called and they opened their eyes. He landed carefully beside them.

"Crane," the snake greeted them, but then realized how serious his tone had been. "What is wrong?"

"Two eagles were spying on us as I and the others talked," he explained. "After we spotted them, they were heading towards you two."

Tigress rose from the ground. "Where are they now?" she asked him.

"I lost them off my sight," the crane shamefully admitted. He met Tigress eyes. "The others are on their way. But maybe you should go back-"

"One prophecy and you are accusing every villager of being an assassin?" the tiger asked him with a blaming voice. "Don't you think that is a bit too much?"

"I… Look out!" Crane barely managed to say before they all had to duck.

The two eagles had suddenly appeared and dived down at them, claws ready to rip their skin open. No one got hurt, but they had flown so fast that Tigress lost her balance as they flew past her. Seeing how close she was to the edge of the cliff, Viper curled her tail around her arm and pulled her back before he could fall down.

"Thanks," Tigress quickly muttered, but then they had to duck again as the eagles attacked again.

They missed again, but remained nearby, ready to come down at any moment. Crane flew after them, and Viper's eyes never left them. Tigress growled, taking her fighting stance.

If those birds wanted a fight then they should get one.

One of them dived down again, and Tigress' paw curled into a fist. Just a little closer and that bird's beak would be crooked…

But suddenly she was pulled back so quickly, that the eagle did not have a chance to change direction but flew directly into the peach tree. Viper leapt at him and they both started to fight.

"Po!" Tigress shouted as he dragged her away. "What are you doing?" she growled.

"Getting you back to the palace," he said, but was suddenly nearly thrown back as Tigress placed her feet on the ground, refusing to move an inch more. No matter how much he pulled or pushed she remained where she was. She could just as well have been made of stone. "Come on, Tigress!"

"It's just two eagles," she protested. "Not an army. You could just as well make fun of my fighting skills by saying that!"

"But-"

"I'm not a child, Po!" she hissed, shaking her arm away from his grasp. "And I am not weak."

"I didn't say tha-"

"If you are afraid of them, then why don't _you_ just stay here?" she asked him, losing her temper. Keeping her away from Kung Fu was not helping her mood, and she did not like when people acted like she was helpless.

So right now she was not exactly happy.

"Because I am not the person who is going to die soon!" he exclaimed, but then regretted his words. With a soft voice he started to apologize, "Tigress, I-"

The tiger was looking at the ground when she cut him off. "I am not going to die. That's a promise."

Po dropped his jaw; he had never heard Tigress talk in such a tone before. So calm, yet was there a bit of sadness in her voice?

Hardened her eyes she met his eyes. "Let's help the others."

"Tigress, wait!" he said, running after her.

Sighing, she looked over her shoulder as she ran back towards the tree. "What?"

"Be careful!" the panda exclaimed, nearly tripping over a stone on the ground.

Resisting rolling her eyes, Tigress said, "Sure."

Why was it that the tone sounded like she was mocking him? Okay maybe it was just some eagles, but he had a really bad feeling about this. A really bad one.

"'I can't watch my friend be killed'!" he called as she speeded up and he found himself slowing down as he could not run that fast. "Your words, Tigress!"

But the tiger could not hear him; she was too far away.

"Your words!"

* * *

A/N: I finally finished it! Stupid writer's block! Nearly finished with my school assignment and theater is now over. Sobs! I miss all my fellow actors so much!

And if anyone ask; the play went fantastic! Half of the times we played, we were sold out and we had to send people away because we did not have space for all the audience! We are one of the best-selling plays they have ever had! Aaaaand… I have already been contacted by two other theaters who have asked me if I want to be in their play. So, yeah, I'll soon have another play to use my time on. Forgive me!


	4. The Bad Day

A/N: Sorry for the wait! Mah! But I just… lost my inspiration for this story I think. Don't know why, but I just did not know what to write. Yeah, lame excuse but I did not want you guys to get crappy chapters. So… Do you forgive me? Please? Because I am back now with what I hope is an exciting chapter!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**The Cost of a Sacrifice  
The Bad Day **

"Tigress!" Viper exclaimed when she saw her feline friend. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think I am doing?" Tigress replied. "I am helping you."

Monkey climbed the tree to try and get to one of the eagles. "But you really shouldn't be here. Po said-"

"Po doesn't know what he is saying," the tiger said sternly. "And besides," she looked up to glare at the two flying enemies, "it's just two stupid birds."

They glared back, but then slowly flew down to land on one of the peach tree's branches. Monkey backed away, as he realized that they were going to talk and if he attacked them the fight would just continue on again.

Tigress crossed her arms when she started asking her questions. "Who are you?"

"Feng and Fang at your service," one of them grinned.

"Dumb and dumber," Mantis muttered. "Why didn't I realize that?"

The birds' smiles disappeared as he offended them.

"Why are you attacking us?" Tigress then asked them.

"Because we heard the rumors," Feng said.

"And we wanted to be part of the fun too," Fang continued.

Viper slithered closer. "Which rumors?"

"Are they really that dumb?" Feng asked his brother and then turned towards the warriors. "Come on! You were talking about it just some minutes ago. Does it ring a bell?"

"Or do I really need to do this?" Fang asked. He then pointed at Tigress, then at his own neck and then made a movement as if he cut his neck with his wing.

He could just as well have said that Tigress would die.

The feline growled quietly, while the others just glared at them.

Fang straightened up again, looking around as if he just lost some dignity. He coughed, embarrassed. "So… yeah… We came to watch her die."

Tigress snorted. "And you think that you can kill me?"

Feng looked at himself and then his brother. "We could. You know, if we wanted to."

"How do you know about the prophecy?" Monkey asked them, clearly suspicious.

"Because the Dragon Warrior screamed 'Tigress is gonna die' all the way to the top of the stairs," Feng explained with a sly smile.

The warriors sighed in frustration; how could Po be so stupid? If everybody knew about the prophecy then maybe people would come just to try and see if they could kill Tigress.

"So we did some research," Fang continued. "And now we are here. Just to get the best view."

"Tigress isn't going to die," Mantis said.

"Oh, and why that?" Feng said challenging.

"Because we are taking care of her," Viper said. "And nothing gets through us to get to her."

Fang tilted his head. "Aw, so sweet," he said mockingly.

"And wait to we tell Master Shifu about this," Feng said. "I bet he'll freak out."

"No way; he's the Grandmaster! He doesn't freak out!" Fang exclaimed. Then he leaned forwards to look closely at Tigress who was standing below him. "Though, I don't think he will be happy when the kitty dies. Maybe he'll have a depression."

"Maybe."

"Or maybe you just shut up," Crane suggested angrily. He then looked at Tigress to see if she gave the signal of attacking, but the feline did nothing. She just glared at the two birds, though, her distance eyes revealed that she was thinking.

Viper too was waiting to leap at the birds, but became confused when Tigress hesitated. What was the tiger waiting for?

And where was Po?

"Here's boring!" Feng exclaimed. "It's funny; you think you are so good and invincible, but in reality there is nothing you can do stop this. Admit; someone will defeat you!"

"Or just be smarter than you," Fang added. "No matter what, the tiger will die even though you tried your best; because your best wasn't good enough."

Monkey looked over his shoulder, though, without making it obvious that he was waiting for a signal. "Come on, Tigress," he muttered quietly. Had she gotten into shock or something?

"How long time did she have back?" Feng asked. "Two days?"

Fang glared at her with a raised eyebrow. "Is she even listening?"

"Tigress?" Viper asked, hoping to get the tiger's attention.

And first then Tigress snapped out of it. She blinked and then shook her head to get back in reality. When she remembered where she was, she growled and set her glance on the birds. How was it that she had lost her focus?

"Since everybody seems to be confused about it," she spoke in a monotone voice, "I guess I have to make it clear; the prophecy is wrong. And if you two came here to see a death," she took her fighting stance, "you were very, very wrong."

She looked to her sides and gave her friends a nod. They all rushed forward with a battle yell.

But before they could reach them, a call could be heard.

"Guys!"

They all stopped just for a second, when they heard the panda's yell. "Po?" Mantis asked, as they could see their friend and his voice did sound as if he was pretty far away.

The eagles used the warriors' moment of hesitation and started to fly away. When the warriors turned around to face them again, they were already gone.

"Po!" Tigress growled angrily. It was because of the panda's yell that the birds had managed to get away. Though, knowing that the panda probably already was in troubles, they all ran towards the palace.

To their surprise, Po was there; busy fighting three bandits. A lynx, a boar and a bear. What the…?

Po was apparently blocking the bandits' way; they did not really attack him, but it more seemed like they were trying to push him away to get past him.

The panda did a good job, but whenever he actually punched away a bandit, the two others were trying again.

"Guys!" he exclaimed in relief when he saw them. "Where are the birds?" he asked them as they joined him fighting.

"Uhm… They got away," Crane said shortly. "What happened here?"

"I don't know!" Po exclaimed. "They just showed up, and since you were already busy with the eagles…" He punched the bear in the face. "I thought it was time for the Dragon Warrior to kick some butts!"

"Nice thinking, Po," Viper praised him as she leapt at the lynx that fell backwards in surprise.

Monkey helped the panda with fighting off the bear. "But you do know that this is your fault, right?"

"My fault?! Wait, what?! How?"

"Because of you the whole valley knows about the prophecy!" Mantis exclaimed from the ground. "And now every bandit is coming here to try and see if they are the ones who will kill Tigress!"

Po looked embarrassed. "Whoops…"

All punching on the same time, the warriors defeated the bandits. They fell backwards and landed on their back at the top of the stairs. The bear was the first to get up. "Let's leave!" he growled to his comrades and turned around to hurry down the stairs.

But a tiger was standing in their way, glaring at them with crossed arms.

"Master Tigress!" the boar gasped.

Clearly not amused, Tigress took a step forward. But the bear reacted quickly and throw a round object towards her. As soon as it hit the ground, gray smoke came out of it.

Seconds later, the warriors of the Jade Palace could not see a thing. Coughing, thy tried to get out of the smoke, but when everything finally cleared up, the bandits were gone.

"Just great!" Tigress growled, being tired of how every bandit today just managed to get away. As there was nothing she could reach to punch right now, she kept curling and uncurling her fists.

"Today just isn't really our day, is it?" Po asked. "This problem just gets worse and worse!"

"Problem?!" Tigress hissed, finally snapping. "There was no problem, panda, until you made it one!"

As she walked closer to him, he started backing away. She was really, really mad now.

"Wha-? What are you talking about?" he almost whimpered.

"I was in no danger of being killed before you blabbered out to everyone about the prophecy! Now everybody thinks that I am weak and can't protect myself; and that is the danger, Po! You have made them believe that they can kill me! They will come here and they won't stop until they get what they want! You are talking about how I should take care of myself but it is because of _you _we are now all in danger!" she hissed directly into the panda's face.

She then turned around to face the rest of her stunned friends. "We have to make a plan," she told them, "They'll be back as soon as they can and they'll probably bring some friends with them. We have to be ready so we can protect the palace."

With that she walked towards the palace, but did send Po a glare that made him want to shrink.

His friends walked up behind Po as they watched the feline leave. "Wow," Mantis said. "And I thought she would be mad when we banished her from training!"

"Nice work, Po," Monkey said sarcastically.

"But I didn't mean to-"

"She's right," Viper sighed sadly. "This is a mess. I hope Master Shifu soon comes back."

"He can fix this," Mantis muttered and left along with Viper.

Crane started walking too, but called over his shoulder, "Sorry, Po."

The panda remained where he was, staring at them with a sad expression. Sighing, he turned around to slowly walk down the many stairs.

He truly messed up, had he not? In his worry for his friend he had ended up making everything worse. If he had not had a reason to worry before he certainly had now.

All the bandits here would try to kill her! Maybe they could defeat them now, but if the bad guys kept coming then they would be outnumbered.

And Tigress had been right when she had said that they now all were in danger. Maybe the others could get hurt at one of the attacks. And it would be his fault!

Because he had to tell everyone about that stupid prophecy!

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

* * *

He was down in the Noodle Shop without thinking about it. Wearing a sad face, he stepped into the shop. That was when he noticed the fox.

The soothsayer was back!

"You!" he exclaimed and rushed to her side. "Listen, you have to help me!"

"Future is the future, my dear," she told him. "Live and you'll see what happens." She stood up, leaving some coins on the table. "A good soup," she said. "It made me come back."

Po opened his mouth, but she held up a paw and stopped him. "I know what you will ask me for. And I can only repeat my answer; there is nothing you can do."

"Come on!" the panda exclaimed, following her out of the shop. "I tried to keep dangers away but-"

"But you accidently told some bandits about it and now the Jade Palace keeps being attacked," the soothsayer finished for him with a raised eyebrow. "Not a smart thing to do."

"Okay, I messed up. But you are gonna help me with fixing it!" He moved himself in front of her so she could not leave. "So you have to tell me how to fix it!"

"Since it was you who caused the problem to grow bigger," the fox said slowly, "then maybe you should just stay away."

Po opened his mouth to say something against it, but found that he could not. He just stared at her as the soothsayer walked away.

With a sad sigh and lowered shoulders, Po began the long walk back to the palace.

* * *

His friends were in the kitchen when he finally arrived. It was no evening but Po did not feel like eating dinner. He was too sad.

"Hey, guys," he greeted them. As he looked around he saw that a certain feline was missing. "Where's Tigress?"

"In her room," Viper said softly. "But I am checking up on her."

"So… Have there been any more attacks?" Po asked, hoping for a 'no'.

The warriors shared glances. "The eagles came back, spying on us," Monkey said bitterly. "Crane flew after them, but they are fast."

"Where have you been, Po?" Crane asked him.

The panda scratched his neck. "Just… down the village." He sat down on one of the chairs. "So what's the plan?" he asked them, hoping that they had managed to make one.

"Well, I guess we have to stand guard until the whole thing is over," Mantis said. "And I think we agreed on that Tigress should stay inside the palace."

"I'll go search for Master Shifu tomorrow," Crane told him. "In case he doesn't return tonight."

"Yeah…" Po said slowly, feeling guilty. "I really didn't mean to mess the whole thing up."

"We know, Po," Monkey said. "You were just…"

"Screaming in panic," Mantis snorted, "like a girl."

"Yeah; my fault," Po admitted. "Sorry."

Viper looked at him with gentle eyes. "Maybe you should say that to Tigress," she told him and then lowered her voice, "I think she is upset."

"Tigress?" Po said. He could not really believe; he had never really imagined Tigress upset before. Besides, she had made it all clear for them that she did not believe what the soothsayer said.

The snake nodded. "I think so. She's in her room if you want to go talk with her."

Po slowly stood up and wished the others goodnight. He then walked towards the barracks until he stopped in front of the door that led to her room.

"Hey, Tigress?" he asked, hoping to get an answer. He then continued, "Can we, you know, talk?"

Seconds later, the door became opened.

"What do you want?" she asked him coldly.

"I just want to let you know that I am sorry," he said. "I tried to protect you… I am just not very good at doing that, am I?" he said jokingly, even though his voice revealed that really did not find it funny.

Tigress crossed her arms. "I believe you have learned the value of a secret by now?" she asked him.

He nodded with big eyes.

The tiger sighed. "It's too late to change it now. We just have to keep our eyes open and be ready for any form of attack."

"So… you are not mad?"

"No, Po; I am not mad. But next time you want to scream something out loud; think about it first."

He grinned. "Will do! Hey, Tigress, I…" He trailed off when he saw some paper that was lying on her bed. Looking closer, he could read the first sentences.

_Master Shifu,_

_If you get this letter, we both know it is because it is too late for me to say it. But there are things that you must know and I _

He did not have the chance to read more as Tigress moved a little more to the right, blocking her bed from his vision. "Goodnight, Po," she said and then closed the door.

Po remained where he stood, too shocked to move. His throat felt dry as he realized what Tigress exactly had been writing; a letter to Shifu he could read after she died.

Even though Po yesterday had been frustrated because Tigress refused to believe, he right now wished that she would have kept her disbelief.

* * *

A/N: I have gotten my inspiration for this story back! Yay! And I am actually quite happy about how this chapter turned out!

So did you like it too? Please review to tell your thoughts.

As most of you know, I have made a poll about which OC I should draw. If you haven't already, then remember to vote.

I have already made an account on deviantART; my name in there is Animation-Girl.


	5. The Threat

A/N: And. Gah. I am back at this. Lost my inspiration again. But I am still here. Alive. Kinda.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**The Cost of a Sacrifice  
The Threat **

Tigress could not sleep. It was like she kept thinking that there was something out there that she had to do. A door she had forgotten to lock, something she had forgotten to tell, a dummy that had to be smashed...

She was pretty sure that Po had seen the letter. What was he thinking about her now? That she was some little scared crybaby who could not handle a bad foretelling?

If there was one thing that Tigress took care of, then it was her respect. Her cold attitude would make sure that no one would mess with her unless they truly wanted problems.

She had lost Po's respect.

Tigress knew that the panda was only trying to help her, but she also knew that this would change his thoughts about her. His need to help her would only become bigger.

And that was a problem indeed.

It was not that she did not like the panda; she just did not need so much worry. It was not like she had lost her claw or anything. She could still fight, she could still take care of herself.

Tigress left her room, needing to check up on her home. It frightened her that it could be in danger. That her friends could be in danger.

She was the leader; she was the one who had to responsibility to protect the others.

Then why did Po think it was him?

Monkey was the one to stand guard, but Tigress hid behind one of the pillars. When he looked away for a short moment, Tigress was already racing down the stairs. He never saw her.

When she reached the village, Tigress took in a breath of the cold air of the night. What now? Where could she be? It was truly a stupid idea; no shops had open at this time of the night and she did not even know if the fox was still in the village.

And, finally, maybe some of the bandits were watching her. If that was the case, then she would gladly meet them; her fist was ready. But she knew it was a bad idea.

She was about to turn around and walk back, ready to face her friends' disappointment, when she heard a sound. Eyes glowing in the dark, Tigress saw a person down the street. "Hey!" she called, but the stranger did not response.

Alright then.

Tigress started running, but the person disappeared around the corner. But before then Tigress managed to catch a glimpse of her face, and she as sure of one thing; this was the soothsayer Po had been talking about, the old fox.

And she was not going to get away.

Tigress continued the chase, but each time the fox managed to disappear and appear somewhere else. How could such an old woman be so quick?

Finally, they reached the end of the village. The fox then stopped and moment later Tigress appeared, angry with her claws shown. "What do you think you are doing?" she asked when she stopped in front of the soothsayer.

The fox crossed her arms. "What do you mean, my dear?"

"First of all, how dare you run when a master of this valley tells you to stop?" Tigress growled, catching her breath.

The soothsayer patted her on the arm. "I don't think the exercise hurt you, dear."

The tiger widened her eyes, unable to believe the fox' behavior. How dared she? She then kneeled down and hissed, "You are the one who told Po I was going to die."

"Correction; He asked for a foretelling and I gave him one. And I told him that you _are_ going to die."

"Why?"

The fox shrugged. "I see what'll happen. If people ask, I'll tell them."

"And you did it for free?" Tigress snorted and looked into the fox's working eye. "I know you are up to something."

The soothsayer stared back. "Maybe you are just afraid. But don't worry; it's not abnormal to be anxious about your death."

Tigress took in a deep breath before saying, "You don't scare me. Now, do everyone a favor and stay away from the valley." She turned around to walk away.

The fox then called, "Master Tigress, why are you here?"

"So I can make sure that you will be gone tomorrow," the feline replied flatly. "And you will," she said coldly.

The fox tilted her head. "And you are not here because you want a different answer, just like the panda?"

"Listen; I don't believe you, so why should I care?" she hissed.

The fox calmly met her glance. "Because the panda made you believe. Don't you try that mask on me, dear. I know you are nervous for tomorrow."

"You're just some stupid soothsayer; I have the control of my own destiny," Tigress answered coldly.

"So you say you won't sacrifice yourself for the panda if it became necessary?"

Tigress let her mouth drop. "I… That was not the question!"

"So you would do it?"

"Of course I would!" Tigress hissed. "He's my friend! I…" She fell quiet when she realized that the outburst should have stayed inside of her.

The fox smiled brightly. "Then I guess we have nothing else to talk about. You might want to go home, Master Tigress; after what I have heard then there are some guys out to get you."

Tigress' fists were shaking; she really wished to punch the soothsayer. If she just had stayed quiet, then none of them would have a problem. But Tigress controlled herself and said, "You. Gone. Tomorrow."

"If you want, Master Tigress."

Turning around quickly, Tigress forced herself to take calm steps. She had not been right; Po had not caused this. The stupid soothsayer had! Wanting to punch something, Tigress growled for herself.

Well, at least she had gotten one thing out of this; the soothsayer was leaving. And since she was the one who started all this it was a fitting punishment for her.

But that fox had been right about one thing. Leaving the palace was a bad idea when every bandit in the valley was trying to kill her.

Tigress stopped walking when she saw the glowing eyes in the darkness. They were coming out from the forest, blocking her from walking into the village. Tigress crossed her arms, glaring at the two mountain cats coldly.

"Let me guess," she said flatly. "You are here to give it a try too." She took her fighting stance while glaring at them. "Then let's see what you can do for I am already in a bad mood and I am not letting you two spoil the rest of my night!"

"Then maybe I can."

Tigress spun around to see the big bear who was holding a sword. He was enormous, and by taking a look on his battle scars it was clear he was a fighter.

And possible a good one.

The last thing Tigress wanted right now was a challenge.

Growling, Tigress met his eyes. She briefly remembered that she had not finished her letter to Shifu yet, but then she pushed that thought away. She did not need to think like that now.

The bear looked over his shoulder for a short second, and first now Tigress noticed the two eagles that were sitting in one of the trees. Of course they had joined the party too.

"Go to the Jade Palace," the bear instructed Feng and Fang. "Follow the plan."

They nodded and Tigress watched them fly towards her home in the distance. Tigress first tried to follow them, but after two steps, the mountain cats were there again. The tiger slowly backed away and then turned towards the bear again.

"What are you doing?" she snarled.

"Just following the plan."

She raised an eyebrow. "And what is that plan?"

He grinned. "Well, at first we were going to give the Jade Palace a little surprise visit. But then we saw you out here all alone…"

"Who are 'we'?" she asked him, wanting to get as much information as she could.

He tilted his head. "You'll find out."

And that was when Tigress had enough. Seriously; having someone to tell her that she was going to die again and again was just not a happy thing. Actually; it was pretty annoying. Very annoying.

Well, to put it out simply; it was driving her crazy.

Because if she was going to die, then Tigress swore she would not do it without a fight.

They wanted to fight her… Then maybe she should show them how a really fight looked like.

With a roar she leapt at him, claws ready to make wounds. He tried to slash her away with his arm, but she jumped and kicked him in the face. Before landing she also spun around to kick him in the chest.

He staggered backwards, but then swung his sword. Barely avoiding it, Tigress fell backwards but quickly jumped again. In the next second somebody pulled her tail, making her lose her balance.

Her vision red of anger, she hissed at the mountain who still was holding her tail. As she leapt at him, the other cat did that with her. He smashed into her, forcing them both away. When she landed on her back, Tigress straightened out her legs to shove him away.

It worked, and he got to his feet some meters away from her. But before he could fully stand up, Tigress had jumped into the air, performing a split; hitting both mountain cats in the face with each foot.

She landed on all fours, and behind her the two cats fell to the ground, unconscious. Straightening up her back, she looked calmly at the bear who was still standing.

"If I was you," she said coldly, "I would retreat before your so-called 'plan' turns into chaos."

"Maybe I should do that," he told her, just as calm as she was acting. "But you see, kitty; I am still here and I am a bit more of a fight than them."

"Then bring it on."

He grinned. "You are going to make a nice rug, cat."

With her claws pointed towards him, she attacked again. He blocked it with his arm, and the used his sword again. Dodging, she grabbed his arm and twisted.

With a howl of pain, he let go of his blade. With a satisfied smirk, she sent him a glance that told him that he had truly made a mistake by challenging her.

He growled again and made a quick move to get back his weapon. But Tigress saw it coming and punched his chest with both paws.

He was forced meters away where he stood, bent over and pain. He was wheezing, trying to catch his breath again.

Tigress took a step forward, ready to finish him off. This had not been that hard. She could still get back to the palace before they would notice that she was gone. But the eagles… She would have to take care of them too when she caught up with them.

But suddenly her feet were swept away under her. With a surprised gasp, Tigress landed on her back. Who had managed to sneak up on her? She had thought she had finished off those mountain cats…

As Tigress looked to up see her attacker's face, Tigress understood that this was certainly not one of the mountain cats.

Her mouth opened in a silent gasp.

* * *

"Guys!" Viper called out in alert. They all immediately rushed out from their rooms; Monkey coming from outside the palace.

"What's happening?" Crane asked.

"Tigress is gone!" the snake exclaimed.

"What?!" all the boys yelled.

Viper sighed. "I was going to check up on her before it was mine turn to stay guard, but she isn't here!"

Po frowned. "You don't think someone took her, do you?"

"Hey, I made sure no one could come in!"

"Maybe you did, Monkey, but did you make sure that no one could come out?" Viper asked him, causing questioning glances from the others.

"What do you mean?" Crane asked her. "Why should Tigress leave?"

"Because she is Tigress!" Viper explained. "And we all know that she just sometimes disappears to be alone."

Mantis groaned. "This is like the worst time ever for sneaking out to be alone!"

Viper nodded. "I agree. But we have to search for her."

"So you don't think-?"

"We'll find out, Po," Viper said quickly. "Right now we just have to hope that-"

"Hey!"

Both Po and Viper flinched by the high yell and quickly rushed outside. It was Crane who had shouted as he had been the first to step outside. In the air, just above them, were the two eagles.

Viper gasped, and Monkey asked angrily, "What are you doing here?"

Feng grinned. "We are here to help you."

"Help us?" Po asked in disbelief. "Wait; weren't you trying to kill Tigress yesterday?"

"Yeah… But it didn't went that well, did it? So now we changed our minds. Kinda," Fang explained.

"And what does that mean?!" Mantis explained.

Viper realized it before the birds spoke. "You know where Tigress is!"

"Exactly!"

"Then tell us!"

The birds laughed. "Sure… Wait… No! Listen; if you want us to speak, then we need something so we can stay alive this week."

Monkey was utterly confused and so were the others. But he was the one who asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Money."

"Oh…"

Crane took a step forward. "I don't know if you are just very stupid, but maybe you should try and take a look of what's in front of you."

Feng tilted his head. "I see… you five?"

Po nodded. "Exactly! Five super awesome Kung Fu Warriors who can punch the feathers off you if we want to!"

The birds shared a glance, then they leaned closer. "Fine. She's outside the valley last time we saw her."

"What is she doing there?"

"Well… She was talking with that weird little fox… But then she left and met those mountain cats… You better hurry 'cause they sure looked evil. That nasty look in their eyes…"

"Alright, we get it! Now go find someone else you can torture with your presence!" Monkey told them and the birds then flew away. Well, at least that was what they pretended to do.

Sitting on the palace's roof, the eagles saw the warriors sprinting down the stairs. When it came to their friend's life, then it could only go too slow.

When they were sure that no one could see them, Feng and Fang landed inside the Hall of Warriors. Looking at the precious things before them, the brothers started arguing about which one to steal first.

* * *

A/N: I know… Bad chapter. But hey, big fight scene in the next one. So the story is not completely over, but it is nearing its end. But hey, that's actually a good thing. Why? Because I am posting a new story once this is finished! Excited? I am!


	6. The Attack

A/N: And I am back! But… ah… Writer's block. Stupid, stupid writer's block. Worst thing ever. But I am doing what I can!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**The Cost of a Sacrifice  
The Attack **

Tigress groaned as she woke up. Her head was throbbing and her body felt stiff. It took some seconds before she realized what had happened. And when the realization hit her, it hit her hard.

The tiger tried to move but found that her body was bound. Thick ropes were around her waist and knees, pressing her against the trunk. On the other side of it, her paws were bound together, forcing her arms to be stretched out more than what was comfortable.

Moving her head, she found that one single rope was around her throat. It was not as thick as the others and did allow her to breathe.

Growling, she tried to spot the causer of all this.

But she was alone.

Looking at her surroundings, Tigress understood she was still in the Valley of Peace. She was in the forest and therefore not far away from the Jade Palace. Why? Why had they not made sure that no one could find her?

Opening her mouth she shouted, "Show yourself, you coward!"

No one answered and Tigress felt herself becoming even more frustrated. As she thought back of what happened yesterday, she just got even more angry.

How could she be so stupid?

She resisted shaking her head. No, she had not been stupid; she had been stubborn. As always.

And her friends had done so much to try and keep her safe…

Tigress felt sick for a moment, her stomach turning upside down. She groaned again and rested her head against trunk. Her head was still dizzy after being knocked out.

Plus, admitting fault had never been one of her favorite things to do.

Pushing away the tiredness, Tigress looked around, trying to spot anything she could free herself. But she found nothing and the ropes were so tight that flexing her fingers had become hard. "Come on," she muttered angrily, trying to reach the ropes with her claws.

But it was in vain, and gave up eventually. Having the sick feeling of somebody watching her, Tigress decided to try and confront her captures. "Hey!" she shouted angrily, staring into the darkness that surrounded her. "Hey!" she tried again.

She stopped for a moment, listening. For a second she thought she could hear a low, mocking laughter. The hair on Tigress' neck rose against her will, but her eyes were now burning with anger. She growled loudly, but the person remained hidden.

The laughter died away, and Tigress tried to move her head rapidly. But the rope forced her to be careful and instead Tigress used her ears. Even though they were not as big as Shifu's, she was still able of hearing even weak sounds. Like footsteps, or movement in bushes or… yelling?

Her ears turned in the direction of the sound as she tried to hear if she was right. She was. Tigress could hear faint shouts of somebody… somebody calling her name.

Not many were named 'Tigress' so of course it had to be her.

And the ones calling her name had to be her friends. Who else could it be?

She had been for too long. Tigress had been planning on returning home as quickly as possible, before Monkey was finished standing guard. But she had been late and then she had been knocked out. How long had she been asleep?

But it was still night since the sky was still dark.

"Guys!" Tigress called, hoping to get freed soon. Though, she was going to lose the rest of her pride when they saw her like this. Tied up alone in a forest… Wait. "Gu…" The call died down as she bit her own lip to stop herself.

This was not right. She had been tied up perfectly, yet, she had not been gagged. She was able to talk, yell, calling for help…

They had left her here for a reason. It was not by accident that she was so near to the Jade Palace. It was not an accident that they had forgotten to cover her mouth.

They wanted to lure the others to her.

Tigress closed her eyes for a second and took a deep, calm breath.

No.

This was a trap and she would not let her win. As Tigress heard her own name be called again, she remained quiet.

She could not risk her friends' lives. This was her problem and she had caused this by herself. Now she had to find a way out of this.

Maybe warriors were hidden in the trees and bushes, just waiting for her friends to arrive. And if they did… Maybe she would not be fast enough to warn them.

That was why being quiet was the best thing to do right now.

In the distance Tigress could see the sun rise and she realized the last day had begun.

* * *

"Guys?" Po asked breathlessly as they ran. "It's-"

"Sunrise," Viper finished for him, briefly glancing at him. "We know, Po."

The panda continued looking terrified. "And that means-"

"If the prophecy is right, then Tigress will die today," Crane finished from the air, looking down at them all.

Monkey set his jaw. "Go ahead, Crane," he told the bird.

Mantis nodded from his shoulder. "Go find her!"

Crane gave them a short nod, then flew of as being the quickest because of his wings.

"This is bad," Viper muttered as they rushed through the village.

"How do we know the eagles weren't lying?" Mantis asked, clinging onto Monkey's shoulder.

"Guess we'll find out know!" Po shouted as they reached the end of the village. They looked around, but…

Nothing.

"Tigress!" Viper shouted, seeing no sign of her feline friend.

The boys stared as Viper kept searching, their eyes wide open. "Oh no…" Po muttered, then ran after the snake.

Finally understanding that Tigress was not there, Viper said loudly, "We have to split up. It's all about finding her as quick as possible."

"But…" Po tried. "What if this is the plan?"

"'Plan'?"

"Trap," Po corrected himself. The others glanced at him, and he could see they were just as unsure about what to do as he was.

Mantis tilted his head. "That could be true…"

"But we still need to find Tigress," Po said before Viper could do it. They all started to walk. "See ya," he called out, sounding as nervous as he felt. Because they were going to see each other again, right?

As they all disappeared, Po wandered into the forest to find his friend. "Tigress?!" He nearly tumbled over each little stone that was lying on the ground and he kept turning around himself. He tried to find Tigress but on the same time he tried to see if somebody was spying on him.

If this truly was a trap, then he need to keep an eye open.

"Tigress!"

The tiger could hear him coming closer, but kept her mouth shut. Tightly.

Po. She knew it was him; she could hear his voice clearly now. And he was searching for her.

Of course he was, that did not surprise her.

Tigress' body tensed up as she remembered the prophecy again. She would sacrifice herself for Po.

And this was now the day that she would do it.

"Tigress!"

The tiger did not say a word.

"Tigress!" He kept yelling, but she was silent. She heard some rustles in the bush behind her and became sure; somebody was waiting for her friends to arrive.

And right now they were disappointed because she did not play along.

Po nearly ran into a tree, not keeping his eyes on where he was going. "Tigress!" And then, as he turned around again, he saw something orange.

"Tigress?" As he quickly ran towards the tree, he realized he was right. "Tigress!" he exclaimed happily, nearly jumping up and down in joy. "I find you! Are you-?"

"Get out of here!" she hissed, eyes darting around. "Now!"

He looked confused. Po took a step forward to try and remove the ropes that were holding her, but then she flattened her ears. "Go now!"

"What's going on? Tigress, we have to-" Then he realized. Backing away some steps, he started moving his head rapidly, trying to spot the hidden warriors that probably were there.

Tigress let out a deep breath when Po backed away. Good. He understood. Then why was he not retreating?

Po remained where he was, shifting from glancing at Tigress to look at the trees that surrounded them. What should he do? He could not just leave her here! That would be acting like a coward!

And he was the Dragon Warrior! Not a coward! Besides, he was her friend! It was his duty to help her! Everything else would just be betrayal in the end.

As Po thought about what to do, an arrow suddenly flew through the air. Before he could even let out a gasp, it had embedded itself in the trunk, just beside Tigress' head.

Tigress narrowed her eyes as she understood the warning. Deciding that their next target just as well could be Po, she yelled at the panda, "Leave now!"

Po could faintly hear the sound of a bow being made readied again, and suddenly just started moving without thinking. In a flash he was by Tigress side, struggling to get the ropes of her.

"Po!" she hissed.

"We gotta get out of here!" he breathed out, pulling the bounds but it did not work.

Tigress set her glance on the tree where the arrow had come from. Shadows hid the person, but she was sure someone was still there.

And they were busy taking aim for their second shot.

"No," she told him. "You got to get out of here."

Po did not answer, but continued his struggles. Understanding that he was not going to leave, Tigress quickly said, "Use the arrow."

He pulled it out from the trunk and used the sharp metal to cut through the ropes. But it was still a slow process and Tigress could almost already hear the arrow being fired.

But before the warrior could let it fly, he fell down from the tree. Tigress watched in awe how Viper attacked the monkey that had been ready to fire the arrow just seconds ago.

"Tigress!" the snake exclaimed happily, finishing off the archer. "You're okay!"

The tiger nodded shortly before saying, "Help Po with the ropes."

"Nah, it's okay. Almost done," the panda said.

Viper gave him a small smile. "But you still need the rest," she said as she freed Tigress' waist and feet. As Po finally finished untying her paws, Tigress ripped away the rope at her throat by herself.

"Are you okay?" she then asked her.

Tigress' eyes were still busy trying to spot enemies. "We need to get out of here," she breathed out. "Come on!"

As she started to leave the forest, Viper and Po shared a glance before trying to keep up with her. "Tigress! What happened?"

"I was stupid," she snarled at herself, all her senses trying to figure out if there still were warriors. "I left the palace and was ambushed."

"Why?" Po asked.

She stopped for a moment to glare darkly at him. "As I said; I was stupid." She then started moving again, dragging her friends with her. "Are the others here too?" she asked quickly.

"Yeah, they are still trying to find you-"

"They need to leave too. Now."

Viper widened her eyes. "What's-?"

"We have to get out of here before she arrives," Tigress said with a serious tone. Her whole body was tensed up, ready to fight at any moment.

"Who?" Po asked again, speeding up so he could walk beside her.

"Me."

Tigress stopped so suddenly, that Po smashed into her from behind. Viper stopped too as they all glared at the old fox in front of them.

The soothsayer looked up to give them a small smile.

Tigress growled threateningly and took a step forward, keeping Viper and Po behind her.

"Wait… You?" Po asked in disbelief. "You were the one who ambushed Tigress?"

"I sure did. And it seems like my plan is still working."

"But…" Po said again, looking from Tigress to the soothsayer. "Tigress is like Tigress… And you are like really old."

The fox' face darkened. "And yet we are here."

Viper slithered towards her. "So you are the one who caused all this? Why?"

"Just try and look at the situation. You are out here, surrounded by _my_ warriors. Your master is busy trying to get back here, and your home is right now being robbed. And all I needed was to create a little spark of panic."

A hope was it inside of Po. "So the prophecy wasn't false?"

"I didn't not say that. And as you can see; I still have powers." The warriors noticed how the fox' paws began to glow. "And looks can be deceiving, as you should know."

"So you are like…? Whoah!" Po exclaimed as Tigress pushed him and Viper away, avoiding the beam of energy that had come from the fox' hands. The panda glanced at the soothsayer in horror. "What was that?!" he exclaimed.

"My powers," the fox said slyly.

Tigress let out another snarl. She remembered the immense pain she had felt when the fox had touched her; then she had blacked out and woken up here.

"What is the point of this?" she growled, trying to figure out the fox' plan. She understood why she had spread panic; to make them weak. But what did the soothsayer want now?

She looked calm as she said, "I want you to surrender or else the prophecy _will_ be true."

Tigress took her fighting stance. "It's you against us. I think we can handle it."

The fox let out a chuckle. "Let's see."

Po and Viper were also ready to fight, but Tigress was the one who attacked as the first. Running towards the soothsayer, she spun around to deliver a kick. It hit perfectly and the fox was sent into a tree. Tigress stood in front of her, arms crossed and her friends placing themselves just behind her. "As I said: I-"

She did not have the time to finish, as an awful noise suddenly started filling her head. It was like a loud ringing; so loud that Tigress fell to her knees, groaning, while trying to cover her ears. It did not help.

"Tigress!" Viper exclaimed in worry, but just as soon as she laid her tail on her arm, her vision got foggy. The same happened to Po, who could now not see a thing. "Huh?"

In the next second all three flew backwards as if someone just had hit them. They all smashed into a tree, knocking the breath out of them.

"Ouch…" Po muttered as he slowly got up. Looking to both sides, he saw that Viper and Tigress were making themselves ready too.

"Viper," Tigress growled silently, not taking her eyes on the soothsayer that was waiting for their next attack. "Go find the others and bring them here."

The snake nodded, understanding that they needed help the defeat this enemy. She quickly disappeared to find their friends.

Tigress was now really ticked off and Po could almost feel her anger from where he was standing. "Tigress," he said, trying to get her attention. "Maybe this isn't a good idea…"

"She's mine, Po," Tigress said sternly.

"But…"

"The prophecy was a trick. Don't you get it?" she hissed, unsheathing her claws. That fox had turned the last days into chaos and now she was going to pay.

Po still was not convinced. "But-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Tigress was running towards the soothsayer. Her punches were strong, but the fox seemed to be just as quick as Mantis. She dodged every one of them, which only caused Tigress' frustration to grow bigger.

Po had never learned how to use Chi the way the fox was doing it; it was almost like magic. But he knew that it could be very dangerous.

That fact was proven true when the soothsayer managed to touch Tigress with her paw. The tiger let out a howl of pain and drove backwards. The touch had only lasted a second, but it had felt like her arm had been on fire.

Now, meters away from the fox, it still felt like her whole body was throbbing in pain. She let out a hiss, and Po finally pulled himself together and ran towards them both.

Seeing this, the fox started to meet him and ran too. Tigress watched as Po quickly stepped aside, causing the soothsayer to miss her attack.

Tigress now tried to kick her again, and this time she succeeded. As the fox flew backwards, Tigress followed her. But as she punched her, the pain again started to spread in her body.

Walking backwards, she tripped over a rock and fell to the ground. The soothsayer was about to jump at her, but then Po attacked, swinging the branch he had picked up seconds ago.

The soothsayer flew away from Tigress, and as she tried to get up, Po could see she was having troubles with it. And as he had not touched her, he had not been hurt. He grinned brightly as he understood this was the way of winning this battle.

But the grin disappeared as the fox finally got up and ran towards him in full speed. He made his branch ready again, but before he knew it, she pulled it away from him, taking the weapon as her own. She swung and hit his legs, causing him to fall in lie on his back.

Tigress had finally gotten some feeling back and her body, but now saw that the fox' eyes had started to glow. Her paws were too, in a dangerously red color.

Understanding that she was getting ready to a maybe lethal attack, Tigress moved forward.

Po groaned, having hit his head on the ground. In the next second he saw the soothsayer getting close to him, his eyes widened.

The fox pulled her paw backwards, waiting for the right moment to thrust it forward again, hitting her target. Her mouth was a thin line as she now was irritated and she was concentrating.

Her palm came forward, ready to hit Po's chest as the panda still was struggling to get off the ground. But before she could do so, Tigress grabbed her arm.

The tiger gasped as the energy flew into her body. Her stripes almost seemed to be lit up as she widened her eyes in both pain and shock. Then the fox had finished her attack, and Tigress fell backwards.

The soothsayer was then forced away as Po punched her in the head. The panda then turned towards his friend, but his heart almost stopped beating when he saw Tigress' empty eyes staring lifelessly into nothing.

* * *

A/N: And I end it here, just to be evil. Nah; it's a long chapter. Guess you did not expect that to happen!

Before I go, I have a question: do you think I should put down the rating to K+? I mean, there is no blood and such, but should I keep it rated T? I am unsure, so please tell me what you think?


	7. The End

A/N: Sorry for the wait, but "Spread Your Wings" just got all my attention because it's an awesome story. Just saying it…

So this will be the final chapter. Sigh. Actually not sigh, since this story never really became my favorite one to write. Though, I hope you enjoyed it.

Yeah… Not much else to say.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**The Cost of a Sacrifice  
The End **

"Tigress?" Po asked, voice shaking. This just could not be happening. Tigress was… Tigress. The most unbeatable, amazing, incredible warrior in the world! How could she be defeated! It was just not right! Not possible!

"Tigress!" he called again, but the tiger remained limp.

A chuckle could be heard from behind him, and he immediately turned around. "It won't work, panda," the soothsayer told him calming as she resting against the tree. The attack had left her panting, and now she was resting to gain new energy.

Seeing how peaceful the tiger actually looked, Po closed her eyes as did not have the strength to look into them. Finally he got up, gently laying her head against the ground.

"I know what you are about to ask," she told him. "And I will be glad to tell you my story. You see, I once lived in the Valley of Peace. Once. But that was before Shifu found me."

"Shifu…?" Po asked, slowly coming closer. A part of him was just too tired, too exhausted to try and fight right now. What had happened was too much for his mind to take in, and now he was just trying to get a hold of things.

"I was doing well. People were interested on getting a foretelling and they would pay quite some money to get it. But when rumors spread that panic was ruling in the valley because of prophecies about death, Oogway sent Shifu down from their little palace. I, of course, gave him a death warning, but he proved me wrong in front of everybody," she paused as she looked the panda into the eyes, "as he kicked me out of the Valley!"

She rushed forwards, claws out as her palm was stretched out towards him. Po widened his yes, but quickly stepped aside so she missed.

When stopped running, she continued her tale, "So I was banished. It was quite some time ago. When _she_," the fox pointed at Tigress, "was just a cub. But as walked around on my own, I realized I had to get myself some warriors. So, through time, I found all the outcasts, all those that had to go to prison if they returned. I got a little group of bandits. We had some fun… Until I decided it was time for revenge."

She put down her hood, so Po could see her entire scarred face. "And isn't the best way of hurting Shifu the way through his students?"

"You…"

"Killed her? I must admit, it was not planned to go like this. I would have placed you all in the same place so Shifu could arrive to see it all. But don't worry; rushed things aren't always bad. And you and the others are still left. And when Shifu comes, once my warriors are done distracting him, I will show you all how a true ruler looks like!"

"You forgot what thing."

She widened her eyes in surprise, though it was with a snort she asked, "What?"

"Tigress is my friend."

"So?"

Po slowly took his battle stance. "Friends don't give up on each other."

She grinned. "Then come and avenge her, panda."

Her palm had already started glowing dangerously red, as she was ready to give Po the same death as she had granted the tiger. Smiling, she saw how the panda started running at her.

But just before he was near her, Po used his feet to kick up a stone; then he twirled around to send it flying directly towards her face.

With a gasp of surprise, she dodged. In that moment, Po managed to kick her back, making her stumble forwards.

She turned her head towards him, hissing. "Kicking an old lady, are we?"

Po did not answer, but attacked again. Though, this time the soothsayer was ready. Before he could get to her, another wave of energy sent him backwards.

He slammed into a tree, knocking the breath out of him. As he sank to the ground, he noticed that Tigress was lying beside him.

Throat hurting, he reached out to grab her paw. "I am sorry, Tigress," he muttered with a thick voice. He closed his eyes in grief, and mourned over the loss of his friend.

Seeing how he was distracted, the soothsayer decided that this was the moment to attack. It might be unfair, but she could not wait any further. He might cause her problems.

Before he could turn around, she rushed at him. Touching his shoulder with her glowing palm, she waited for him to get shocked.

But what then happened surprised her.

A fist hit her face and she stumbled backwards.

Po got up, looking at himself in surprise. "Seems like you are getting tired," he then said, taking his battle stance.

She looked at him with widened eyes. "No… No!" she shrieked, glaring at him angrily. "This might take a second try, panda, but I am not done yet."

He glared back. "Then come get it."

Snarling, she ran; but only a few steps. Then she stopped, stretched out both of her palms and sent out a new wave of power.

Po flew backwards again, but as he hit the tree, his arms desperately searched for some branches to hold on to. He did find one, but it broke as gravity forced him down.

Landing heavily, Po did not have the time to get up as the soothsayer ran forward again. "Bye, panda," she sneered. But before she could hit him with her deadly powers, she froze, let out a moan, and then feel forwards, face first.

As she did, Po could now see the tiger that was behind the unconscious fox, holding the branch he had brought down from the tree.

Po could not believe his eyes. "Ti… Tigress?!" he exclaimed.

The tiger nodded, let go of the branch and slowly walked towards him. She carefully avoided stepping on the fallen fox.

She leaned down, offering her paw. "Need help?"

He did not take it as he in the next second had thrown his arms around her. Tigress winched as how hard he was hugging her sore body. "Po… Enough."

The panda finally did, but first he noticed how warm her body was. "Wow… You are hot… NOT ON THAT WAY! I mean; you are really, really warm."

She raised an eyebrow. "Of course I am. Try being fried like that two times and see how you feel." She was right though; some of her fur was still standing straight up, making her look fuzzy.

"But how did you do it?! I thought you were-?"

Tigress cut him off with a small smile. "Yes. But then there was pain and I woke up to see you hitting the tree."

That was when Po realized what had happened. When the fox had tried to use her powers on him, he had been holding Tigress' paw. So the attack had gone through him into Tigress… and had started her heart again.

"Talk about luck," he thought out loud.

Tigress looked at him in worry. "Po, are you alright?"

He looked up, surprised. "You're asking me?! Seriously, Tigress; you are the one who died!"

Her eyes became distant, cold. "Yeah. I did…"

Po nervously punched her on the shoulder to bring back her good mood. "But hey; you are alive!"

She nodded wordlessly. "Let's make sure she won't go anywhere," she said while kneeling down to the unconscious soothsayer.

"It was a really smart trick you did there," Po said, raising her. "You know; using the branch so you did not touch her-"

"That was the plan, Po."

She picked the fox up by the hood, looking down at her face. As she seemed lost in thoughts.

"Tigress, you sure you are okay?"

"No," she answered, telling him the truth. "But I will be." He noticed how her paws were shaking oddly.

But before he could comment it, another person entered the scene. "Master Shifu?" Po exclaimed, unable to believe his eyes.

"Are you two alright?" he quickly answered, as he stopped in front of them.

Before Po could say anything, Tigress stepped in front of him and bowed. "Yes, Master. We are unhurt, and the soothsayer is defeated."

"She said she knew you by the way," Po told him as his master looked at the fox.

Shifu nodded. "Yes, I remember her. And her warriors kept me quite busy as they refused to let me enter the Valley."

"So how did you…?"

"I defeated them, Po, though, it took some time. Where are the others?" he asked them.

"Viper went for help as she blocked our path back to the palace. I believe she and the others must be busy with taking out the rest of the bandits," Tigress explained.

Shifu caught her glance. "Stay here and make sure she doesn't get away. I'll check up on the others."

The students did as they were told, and an awkward filled the air.

Finally, Tigress spoke. "Po? I would greatly appreciate if you don't tell anybody what happened in the battle."

"Uhm… Why?"

The tiger sighed. "Because we are all ware of what can happen as being a warrior. We have all chosen to let go of that knowledge as we continue fighting." She paused. "We have all been through accidents. But when death comes too close it will affect us."

She turned to look him into the eyes. "And I want them to look at me at the same way as before this battle. Do you understand, Po?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "I think so…"

"Thank you."

He grinned. "No problem. And Tigress?"

"What?"

"I am sorry. You know, for causing this back mess. If I just had kept quiet none of this would have happened," Po said shamefully.

"A lesson to remember in the future," she answered calmly. "And I am not mad."

He visibly relaxed. "That's good. So everything is fine?"

She nodded. "As long as all the others are fine." She looked around, then back at the unconscious fox. "She is skilled. Very. It's the first time I have ever met one with such powers."

"It's pretty crazy! Like she is some superhero… Just except the fact that she isn't a hero at all," Po said, following her glance. "Do you know how she does that… glowing… thingy?"

"Chi energy. A strong one. Takes a lot of control," she answered shortly. "But a strong cell in Chorh-Gom will keep her trapped."

"And her warriors?"

"Different punishment compared to how many times they have broken the law," she breathed out.

Po looked closer at her face again, and saw that she was lot in her thoughts. "Tigress, you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I am just… thinking." She sighed and sat down on a nearby rock, though first after tying the fox' hands together by a piece of fabric coming from the soothsayer's cloak. "I was very lucky today, Po."

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah… Hey, Tigress? When you grabbed her arm…"

"I did it to prevent her from attacking you, yes," she answered even before he had finished his sentence.

He gulped.

"What's wrong, Po?"

"It's just… You keep doing that! You keep sacrificing yourself like you don't matter, and I am just the one who brings the mess!" he exclaimed.

She looked him dead in the eyes. "Po, you would do the same for me, am I right?"

"Of course! You are my friend-"

"Then there is nothing to feel sorry about. What happened back there was not your fault. Actually, I am not sure whether my heart would still be beating if you hadn't grabbed my paw."

"But…" He sighed as she realized she was right.

Tigress continued, "Friends do sacrifices for each other."

He punched her on the arm, happy again. "Friend," he said, taking her by the word.

She rolled her eyes. "Friend."

"But seriously, if you ever die again, Shifu is gonna kill me!"

* * *

"So…" Po panted as they came near the last steps of the stairs. "Tough day, huh?"

Tigress just sent him a glance as an answer.

He then said, "I have been thinking about two things…"

"Really? I though multitasking wasn't your thing."

He let out a false laughter. "Very funny, Tigress," he said sarcastically.

"Then what is it?"

"Did you like see anything while being dead? You know, life flashing by or anything?"

She shook her head. "No. The next thing I remember is opening my eyes and see you lying beside me. Then you got up and I realized that you still needed my help. And since both of you still thought I was gone, I thought a sneak attack would be a great way to win."

Tigress paused. "I guess this is just my second chance of living?"

"Anything special you're gonna do? Any regrets to fix-?"

"I am going to talk with Shifu," she revealed.

"Really?" Po asked, surprised.

She nodded. "But not tonight; I believe we all deserve some rest." Tigress looked at him. "What is the second thing?"

"If the prophecy wasn't real… Do you then still think I'll end up as awesome as she described?"

She sent him a scolding glance for being so childish. "Po…"

The next thing they heard was a yell coming from the Hall of Warrior. Running quickly, they soon found their master standing in the middle of the empty room, as all the artifacts were gone. "What has happened here?!" he demanded furiously.

"Uhm…"

Tigress looked at Po as he looked like he knew something. Then she spotted something out of her eye, and saw two eagles in the distance, both flying with a big net in their talons.

She grabbed Po by the arm and dragged him out of the hall. Po saw the same as her, and turned around to call at Master Shifu, "Just a minute! We are going to kick some feathery butts!"

And so the two warriors leapt outside, ready to fight their next enemy.

**The End **

* * *

A/N: So I hoped you liked it, guys! I did… At least in the start. Then I sort of lost some interest.

But big news! Since this story has been finished, I am working on the plot of my next story. I believe you will love it, as it something very different form me. Though, it will still be about Tigress. Hope you are looking forward to it; there'll be a lot of cuteness and drama!


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